A Sip of Coffee
by Nataliebug2
Summary: Ulquiorra lives in a dreary normal world until a trip to a coffee shop on his way home changes it all. This is my first story, and yes, it is the stereotypical coffee shop AU. I hope you all like it and please critique me. I DO NOT OWN BLEACH OR ITS CHARACTERS. K plus for a tiny amount of language.
1. Chapter 1

Pointless.

That is all this life is and ever will be, at least that is what Ulquiorra thought. He didn't understand how people could live for a chunk of metal and a bit of paper. There was no reason for any of it. He once expressed this opinion to a brash, rather idiotic coworker of his by the name of Grimmjow. (Looking back, he could see that this was not a good idea on his part.) In reply, the blue haired man said, "Dude, that is some depressing shit. You should see a doctor or something."

Of course Ulquiorra wouldn't do anything of the sort. There was no reason to share these opinions, and really, the doctor would only "care" because of the cash Ulquiorra would be required to pay. So, once again, there was no point.

To cure this "depression" that Ulquiorra had, he put himself into a schedule. On weekdays, he would wake at 7:00 am. He would then dress, eat breakfast and take a bus to work. He would eat is lunch there and at 4:00 he would leave for home. He would eat at home, read and finally sleep. This would repeat the days forward until one fateful morning.

This morning began like any other. Breakfast and work. When Ulquiorra got to work, he found that a virus had spread through the entire business network and had began to delete client profiles. He and his coworkers worked tirelessly through their lunch hour and an entire hour later than their usual schedule. Ulquiorra was famished by the time work was off and decided to buy something to at least hold the hunger until he got home, in town.

The only problem with Ulquiorra's plan is that he didn't eat out often and therefore had no idea as to what food would be appropriate for his need and price range. The only times Ulquiorra really ever ate out were when one of his coworkers, or his boss, Aizen, decide to have a party (most of which include tea) of sorts. So Ulquiorra began his normal trek home looking to the sides of bulidings for places that might sell what he needed. Along the way, he saw all sorts of different places that would qualify as what he needed, but none of them appealed to Ulquiorra. When he was about ½ a mile away from his apartment, he found a place suitable to serve him. The place was called, "The Caffeine Cafe." It was a small coffee shop that sold all sorts of baked goods, sandwiches, and not to mention, drinks. Ulquiorra stepped into the small green dining area, feeling a rush of cold air hit him. He didn't even realize how warm it was out until he stepped into the chill.

Ulquiorra stepped up to the counter, looking up at 3 large black boards that displayed the menu. As he scanned each one, a girl with long pink pigtails, probably in her teens, began conversation from behind the counter. "So what do ya want?" She sounded irritated. "Hurry up or get out." She then took a large bight of a doughnut, leaving crumbs of the bread and pink frosting all over the counter and her green apron. Her name tag read Riruka. _Strange that this girl still had a job with that attitude,_ was all that Ulquiorra could think. He scanned the board once more before speaking his monotonous order. "I will have the turkey sandwich with no sides. That is all."

Riruka looked puzzled for a second before suddenly remembering something. "Are you sure you wouldn't like one of our pastries? They are freshly baked." The way she said it sounded recited and fake.

Ulquiorra simply replied with, "I gave you my order."

It sounded like she muttered something along the lines of harsh before turning back to Ulquiorra. "That would be $5.03. Please go to the other counter to wait for your order. What is your name?"

Ulquiorra gave her his name and then dug into his pockets to pull out a $5 bill and a nickel. He didn't concern himself with getting the change before walking over to the second counter so his left. On his right Riruka was screaming out his order, unnecessarily loudly, to some girl in the back. "PRINCESS! We need a #5 with turkey!" A small noise of understanding came from a room, most likely the kitchen, on the right of Ulquiorra.

A few seconds later, a young girl, wearing a green apron much like Riruka's, came with a sandwich bundled in paper. She smile and said, "Are you Ulquiorra?" in the sweetest voice that had ever enter Ulquiorra's ears. He simply nodded, since he needed no more to reply. She reached out to hand him his food and a small strand of her aburn hair fell from behind her ear. Looking down, he saw that the girl's name tag read Orihime. A suitable name.

Ulquiorra accepted the food with a polite nod and turned to leave. She smiled again and wished him to enjoy his food and day.

The weird part about this day was not the events of his work, but the girl. Never before had his heart sped up at such a rate when a woman looked at him in such a way.

* * *

Author's Notes:

Hey guys, thank you for reading. This is my first fic, so please, please critique me. I need it. I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I loved writing it. To be honest, I am not sure where I am going with this, but I am open for suggestions. And sorry, I have no idea how often I will update. Anywho, please review and have a great day.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite the odd events of the day before, Ulquiorra got up at his normal time and started the day as usual. The only thing that differed from other days was what was on his mind. Rather than work or breakfast, he thought about Orihime, the girl from the day before. This was very odd. He had never met a person that made his heart race so.

When he got to work he decided to ask one of his coworkers what this meant. Grimmjow was out. Ulquiorra never really talked to Tia or Stark... That left Szayelaporro, Barraggan, Nel, Nnoritora and Zommari. Out of all of them, Nel would be his best bet. At lunch, Ulquiorra approached the woman. She was talking with Nnoritora and Grimmjow, not the best combination to ask his questions to. So, Ulquiorra decided to start by asking Nel to join him for lunch, out of the office. Of course Nel was up for it since he said he was paying. Grimmjow started about him coming along, but Nel and Ulquiorra left before he could know where they were going... Well Ulquiorra didn't really know either but he'd figure that out on the way.

When safely out of the office building, Ulquiorra was going to start conversation, if Nel hadn't beat him to the punch.

"So... This isn't like a date is it?" She began.

"No," is all Ulquiorra said in reply.

"Sooo what is this then? You never go out for lunch, much less with a coworker?"

"I need to ask you something. Where would you like to go for lunch, please don't make it expensive or take to long."

"I see. And here I'll lead the way."

They walked for about 3 minutes more before approaching a small sports bar. The sign read "Wings Beer and Ribs." The inside was filled with a bunch of drunks, watching some type of sports event. Many were dressed in red, white and gold.

When the duo entered the building, a waitress wearing a rather skimpy outfit came to great them. "Hello and welcome! Table for two?" She asked the last part with a small wink in Nel's direction. It was clear that she came here often and knew the staff.

Nel replied before Ulquiorra could. "Yes please." She then shot the waitress a look that could be read as, "Not what your thinking."

The waitress got the look and stopped smirking. "Okay, right this way." She lead them to a table in the back, which was much quieter, smelt less like alcohol, and wasn't nearly as dirty. "Do you know what you want to drink?"

Nel asked for a lemonade while Ulquiorra asked simply for a water.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

Ulquiorra explained what happen with the girl from the Caffeine Cafe, and how he didn't quite understand why he continued to think about her when he had only just met her, if he could even say that.

"Shoot Ulquiorra, sounds like you have a crush," Nel giggled.

"A crush?" Ulquiorra asked skeptically. He had never heard the word used in such a manner.

"Yes, you know? You are attracted to this girl? Like you want to date her..."

Ulquiorra had never felt anything like that. There was no point to dating, so why even try? He had never found a woman attractive really. He found some nice and others with a good physical build, but nothing to stare at.

After finishing lunch, Ulquiorra and Nel headed back to work. Ulquiorra finished his portion for the day at 4 o'clock and then decided to make his day even more out of the ordinary than before. He was going back to the Caffeine Cafe.

* * *

AN: Hey thanks for reading! I'm happy for the few reviews I've gotten, you guys are the reason that this chapter is posted and that I didn't drop this story. Anyway, please, as always, review, critique, and if you have ideas for this story tell me. I honestly am not sure where I am going with this so if you want to see something, please tell me!


	3. Chapter 3

Ulquiorra made it just before the Caffeine Cafe closed. It turns out that on Fridays they closed early. When he walked in, the loud girl from the day before started yelling. "Hey you, glum emo lookin' guy!" Ulquiorra nodded in her direction. "Yeah, you! We are closin' in like 20 minutes, so don't order food!"

Ulquiorra couldn't believe this girl. She was ridiculous, lazy and there is almost no way, in any normal place, she could keep a job. So, instead of a sandwich like Ulquiorra planned, to keep her slightly quieter, Ulquiorra walked up and ordered a plane black coffee.

"You sure you want that? It's really bitter," Riruka stated after he ordered. It makes sense that she would find it bitter, based on how many doughnuts Ulquiorra had seen her eat. In fact, she had just started a chocolate doughnut as he ordered.

"Again, I have made my decision," Ulquiorra replied.

"If you say soooo. HEY PRINCESS! Need a plane coffee! That will $2.29."

Ulquiorra was revealed to here that she was working. It would have been pointless to come otherwise, if this trip wasn't already pointless. But somehow, Ulquiorra didn't find this trip pointless like he found most of his others. In fact, he was actually enjoying himself for a change.

Ulquiorra paid. Then, he walked over to the second counter as he did the day before. Only a few seconds later, Orihime came out with his coffee. She smiled and handed it to him.

"Here you go sir! I really hope you enjoy!" she said before walking back into the assumed kitchen.

Just as the day before, his heart felt like it doubled in pace and that his mouth ran dry. There is no way that this behavior from the day before was work educed.

* * *

AN: Hey guys! Here is a real short one for you. A quick shout out to user Hylla for some awesome ideas and reviews. Thank you so much! I hope you all enjoy reading this as much as I did writing it. As always, please review and I'll try to update soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Orihime came home after another satisfying day of work. While she wasn't aloud to make food that she would normally eat for costumers, she enjoyed herself none the less. When she opened the door, she took a deep breath, smiled, and then walked into her apartment. She then, stripped off her shoes and socks, followed by her apron and work hat. It felt good to shed the extra garments in the summer heat, even if it was going to turn to fall soon.

Orihime was replaying the events of work when the phone rang. It was her friend Rangiku. Apparently Ran was planning on going out with a couple of other friends for liquor and karaoke. It sounded like a good time, and Orihime didn't have work the next day so she agreed. She was to meet the group at the Soul Society Karaoke House at 8:00. It was 6 the so she had about an hour and a half to get ready. …So there couldn't be any harm in a quick nap...

It was a good thing that Orihime set her alarm for 30 minutes before she had to leave. Orihime bolted up right and ran into her room. She threw her closet open and scanned the clothing it held. After a scan or two more, Orihime decided on an orange, knee length dress. With that, she added white stockings and a pair of 3 inch wedges. To finish the outfit, she added her signature blue flower clips. She thought that she looked cute enough. So, she left.

Orihime arrived a minute before the appointed time. All but one of the group had gathered at the front, all of them talking in a circle. Rangiku waved Orihime over. Rukia was there, along with Tia, Nanou, and Soi Fon. They were all talking about boys, which was not unusual at all. Nanou was the only one that looked less them pleased to be here. When Orihime asked, it turned out that her captain at work insisted that it would be good for her and forced her to leave. A couple minutes later, Nel walked sauntered up to the bunch.

"Hey. Hope I didn't keep you waiting long," the green haired woman said.

"Not at all. We were only here for hours," Rangiku feigned. After that, they walked into the karaoke house, each paying a small portion for a couple of hours with the machine and bar. The first to sing, for once, was not Rangiku. The merry making started with an up beat duet from Tia and Nel, which was followed by a blushing Nanou. She wasn't half bad.

"Soooo, how have you been Ran?" Nel started.

"Ugh! Work has been so boring at the Soul Society! It's nothing but paper work!" Ran answered with a pout.

"That really stinks! How's Gin?"

"He's fine," Ran smirked. "Nice date too."

"Oh! So he finally asked you out?" Orihime asked. This was all news to her since she hadn't talked to any of them for around a month.

"Yeah. And glad about it. I was wondering when he'd finally do it. His crush was so obvious it almost hurt!" Orihime laughed with the others for a few seconds before Rangiku spoke gain. "Nel," she addressed, "what about you? Work doing you any good?"

"Well," Nel began, "it's been fine. I got two date offers and I don't know who to choose! Both are creeps, but hey, a date's a date!" A chorus of laughter rung out again before a sudden thought hit her. "Oh! And you know that one real glum guy, Ulquiorra?" Rangiku nodded.

"Yeah. I met him at that one work party you dragged me to. What about him?" Rangiku replied.

"Well the funniest thing happened today! You know how he I usually so emotionless?" She continued without an answer. "Today he asked me to lunch so he could ask me some questions! At first I thought great more work but it turned out he didn't understand some feelings he had. And from the sounds of it he has a crush!"

Rangiku giggled a bit. "A crush, eh? That is funny for an emotionless man like him. Do you know who it is?"

Nel shook her head, a bit put down. "No. He just said it was some girl that he briefly met at some restaurant. His server or something..."

Nanou's song ended and Orihime jumped on stage and began to sing about... cabbages?

Rangiku nodded her head thoughtfully, "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Nel's smile widened to a mischievous grin. "If you are thinking match maker, then you know I am. I'll talk to him tomorrow and some how get the name of the girl and place he ate... But tomorrow we don't have work..."

"Call him and invite him out!" Rangiku suggested.

"Perfect! I'll call you afterward!"

And with a plan hatched, the girls enjoyed a night of drinking, singing, and giggles.

* * *

AN: Soooooo I hope you like! I have felt like writing the last few days, strangely. Please review and/or critique! Also, please tell me if it starts to get out of character. Thank you for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

It was Saturday morning. Ulquiorra didn't have work. As usual he went around his apartment and cleaned the place up. Then, he sat down and started reading a book. His boss, Aizen, had recommended it to him. It was about gaining power in this world. The book as a bit of a thriller at the same time, full of deception, action and betrayal. Ulquiorra wasn't 20 pages in when the phone rang. This, unlike the rest of his day, was unusual. Ulquiorra picked up with a soft hello, expecting it to be a telemarketer or a campaign representative, but, it was Nel.

"Hey Ulquiorra! How are you today?" Nel chirped excitedly.

"I am fine." Ulquiorra answered shortly.

There was a short pause after that. Nel was expecting something along the line of "And you?" but that never came. "So... um... I was thinking, it was very kind of you to take me out for lunch the other day..."

She paused, so Ulquiorra thought it would be best if he replied. "I needed information. There was no kindness involved, it was the logical choice."

This was definitely making it harder for Nel to make conversation. "Well I thought it was nice!" A pause. "Anyway, I was hoping to return the favor and go out for lunch with you. I will pay."

Ulquiorra really didn't have an interest in going out at the moment, but the woman on the other side of the phone sounded a bit desperate and extremely excited. So, he agreed. Nel asked where he wanted to eat. Not knowing many places, he said the Caffeine Cafe. After all, he planned to stop by and grad a drink before grocery shopping, and to see if the girl was there. Nel agreed and decided they would meet at 12:00. He had 2 hours to do what he wished before he had to leave. So, with that thought in mind, he sat down and continued reading.

12:00 came around quickly. Before Ulquiorra knew it, he was out the door, walking towards the cafe. He arrived 10 minutes early, something he was accustomed to doing. Nel arrived 12 minutes later.

"Hey Ulquiorra! Did I keep you waiting long?"

Long was much to general. Long depended on the person, their life, and what they were doing. So, instead of expressing how inadequate "long" was, he simply replied with, "No."

"Okay then," she began, "Let's get some food!"

When the duo walked in, Ulquiorra realized that Riruka was not working the counter. In her place was a short black haired girl. She looked a bit bored as she doodled in a pad. Nel recognized the girl.

"Hey Rukia!" she yelled.

The black haired girl, Rukia, purked up. "Nel! It's nice to see you. Been a while. Sorry I couldn't come last night. I was busy."

Nel waved her hand nonchalantly. "Nah, not much happened. We did find out that Soi Fon can sing in German. I wasn't all that surprised, but she was really good."

They laughed easily. "Sounds like a good time. Anyway, what are you doing here? You have never come here before." Rukia asked.

"Well, I owed him," Nel pointed at Ulquiorra, "lunch. And, he said he wanted to come here, so here I am. The real question is why you are here. Aren't you working at the Soul Society Karaoke?"

"Well... I kinda broke an important rule and having a tiny leave of absence. And don't say I was laid off. I still work there, but not for a month. But never mind that, what would you like to eat?"

Nel ordered a milkshake, a salad, a sandwich and a piece of cheese cake. Ulquiorra ordered a sandwich and got a water. "Your order will be out soon, please wait at the other counter. See ya Nel!" Rukia said after taking Nel's cash.

"See ya!" she said before walking over to the other counter.

There food was brought out by a tall, darker skinned man. When he handed them their food, he simply grunted and walked back. Ulquiorra respected his silence, in fact, he was a bit thankful for it. The man's name tag read Chad. If he had a chance, Ulquiorra would tell the manager that he appreciated the man's work.

Lunch was delicious. Every aspect of the meal tickled Nel's taste buds to the point where she couldn't help but to smile. But this outing wasn't about fine cooking, it was about setting Ulquiorra up for a date. With that in mind, she started conversation. "So Ulquiorra, the other day you said something about having a crush on a girl..."

"You thought my actions implied a _crush_, I never said that I did." Ulquiorra quipped.

"Yeah, yeah! But I was curios," the green haired girl pursed her lip, "who is this girl? Where did you meet? I am dying!"

"We are all dying. Your melodramatics will not do anything for you."

"Fine, fine. But will you tell me?"

"No."

"Why not?" Nel questioned.

Ulquiorra couldn't really find a reason why, he simply did not want to tell her. So he said, "It is my business."

Nel wasn't going to give up so easily. But what are you going to bribe a guy like that with? There doesn't seem to be anything. Then, it hit her. "I'll leave you alone and won't tell any one about this (besides Rangiku)."

That was when Ulquiorra realized what a bad idea telling Nel was. Nel was the queen of gossip and could let the whole town, maybe the country, know about any single event. That would not be good. "Fine."

Nel flung her hands up in excitement with a small yell. "So, who is it, where'd you meet her, and what happened? I need all the deatails."

With a sigh, Ulquiorra began. "Her name is Orihime..."

* * *

AN: Hey there, thanks for reading! As always please review critique and all that good stuff. Shout out to ulquihime7980 for your awesome reviews. Please continue. Anyway, thanks again and I hope you enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6

It was mid-afternoon. Rangiku had just finished getting steal deals at the mall and was walking home, arms heavy with shopping bags, when Nel phoned. The girl was talking so fast, Rangiku could only catch a word or two. "Woah there Nelly!" She joked, "Slow down and take it from the top."

Nel was panting ever so slightly. She composed herself, then yelled, "HE LIKES ORIHIME!" into the phone.

Rangiku's jaw dropped. _Her_ little Orihime? Sweet, dorky Orihime? Flowery Orihime and and emo Ulquiorra? She almost couldn't believe it. "R-really?" the strawberry blonde stuttered.

"You think that I would lie about something like that?!" Nel questioned frantically. "Don't you see how perfect it is!? Over emotional and emotionless, colorful and black and white, sweet and-" Nel was cut off.

"Enough with the opposites. Your point?" Rangiku rushed.

"They complete each other! Each has too much of the other trait, blended, it is total balance!" Nel explained.

Rangiku was starting to like the idea, after all, opposites attract. "So what do you suppose we do?"

"Set them up to meet and talk or go on a date." Nel said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Rangiku knew that, but she wondered where, when and how. "First of all, we shouldn't do a date. That would be _way_ to obvious. So meet... hmm..." She pondered. What is something Ulquiorra would be into that Orihime would also be into. Karaoke was out, he wouldn't go for that.

"Ooo! How karaoke!" Nel chirped.

"The funny thing is that I was just thinking about how that would _not_ work. Ulquiorra would never go for it." From that point on, Rangiku shared her thoughts aloud.

Roller skating didn't sound like something that Ulquiorra would be into. Really, Nel and Rangiku decided, Ulquiorra was the hard one. Orihime would pretty much try anything, especially if her taste in food was anything to go by. Then Rangiku had it. "The fair!" She shouted excitedly as she opened her apartment door. A neighbor popped her head out and shushed Rangiku. With a soft sorry Rangiku continued. This seemed like something that, well, Ulquiorra wouldn't not enjoy that much. He could at least get food and he could chat with the others, but it wouldn't bore anyone else they invited, since they weren't going for a date yet. So, Nel and Rangiku planned. The fair would be in town for another two weeks, so it would be best to go soon. Rangiku had work on Monday, and Sunday was too soon. So, they decided that on Tuesday, after Nel, Ulquiorra and a few others got off work, they would go, even though they had work the next day. They were too excited to do it any later.

"I'll invite a couple of people from work so Ulquiorra won't be all that suspicious." Nel stated.

"Okay, I'll just invite who I think would be good. Mind if I bring Gin?" Rangiku asked simply because not only did Gin creep Nel out like none other, but he was one of her bosses at work.

"Sure. Why would I care?" Nel knew that Rangiku would keep him from trying anything.

"Anyway, I better get going. My phone is about to die. Stupid smart phones have the worst battery life."

"Okay, see ya soon! Bye!" And with that, the two girls hung up and started to prepare for setting up Ulquiorra and Orihime at the fair.


End file.
